Year 6 - Mr D Miree

Support staff: Mrs Kent and Mrs Akudi (Mon and Wed all day and Thurs and Fri mornings)

Pupils: 25 fantastic bright and happy smiley pupils…

When children reach Year 6, they are in the final part of Primary school. Academically, they have to work harder than ever, as they sit end of year SAT tests in Year 6, which are a large focus for teaching. However, we do try to balance the pressure of work with some fun and exciting topics and events. All children become role models and leaders for the younger children and can volunteer to have many important roles such as: headboy/girl, members of the school council and Buddies.

Importance of year 6

As previously mentioned, children take SAT tests at the end of year 6. These are national tests taken by children throughout the country and results are reported in the press, to show achievement of all schools. There are three tests which are Reading, Mathematics and Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation (SPAG). Children are assessed for writing, but this is through teacher assessment and moderation, rather than a test.

This is not the only focus however, as the children need to work hard in all subjects, to achieve the level they are capable of. This is why we stress to parents the importance of homework. Children are given regular homework on a Friday, which is expected to be returned by Wednesday of the following week, at the latest. We encourage parents to be involved in their child’s homework to ensure they complete it to the same high standard expected of them within school.

Curriculum Information

Literacy- In reading, children will access a variety of texts ensuring they are given a broad diet of literature. Children will explore all areas of comprehension by exploring novels, extracts and previous SAT’s papers

In writing we will continue to develop our writing skills and will use the skills learned from reading and SPAG to be able to write in detail and at length. Our focus text is ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’ which is a story about a neglected child from a deprived home in London, Willie Beech is evacuated to the country during the Second World War to live with Tom Oakley, an old widower. With Tom, Willie flourishes, develops friendships and finds real happiness and security for the first time. Then he has to return to London to his mother, and his old life experiences wait for him again there, only to worsen. This is an accessible, but powerful, emotionally charged novel, which explores themes like safety and trust, parenting, fear and loss. There are links across the curriculum to History work on Britain since the 1930s.

Maths- This will be another busy half term with the continuation of our hard work in Maths. I would like the children to continue practising their four operations and place value multiplication and division of 10,100 and 1000 as this is essential for Year 6. Our main focus this half term will be on Fractions, the children will develop further understanding of multiplying and dividing fractions. We will also be learning how to read and create line graphs in Statistics.

Science - This term will look at the following unit of work on Light.

Year 6’s will be able to use the idea that light travels in straight lines and to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye. They will also explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain why shadows have the same shape as the original source.

This half term, we will be learning the foundation subjects through the topic of

World War 2.

History- Year 6’s will be able to Identify and use sources of information to find out why wars break out. Learn about the Evacuation process and explore the reasons why people were evacuated. The children will learn about rationing and learn about import and export during the war. They will also learn about the roles of women, men and children during the war and identify how roles have changed today. And finally we will be learning about the Holocaust and how everyone should be treated the same regardless of cultural or religious backgrounds so that this event is never repeated.

Computing - ‘We are project managers’. This half-term, children will work collaboratively to develop a smartphone or tablet app. Pupils apply computational thinking to the task of managing a complex project.

Identify their existing talents and plan how they can develop further knowledge and skills and further use web-based research skills to source tools, content and other resources.

Music- Year 6’s will continue to identify different instruments and their role in an orchestra. They will investigate a range of musical instruments to learn how they function and will produce clear labelled diagrams of instruments. Children will begin to think about possible instruments that could be made We will also have a composer visiting every fortnight from Batley Opera, to teach the children how to compose and sing in an operatic style. Should be good fun.

French – We will be learning vocabulary and conversations linked with eating out and buying food. Pupils will learn how to order food and drinks in cafés and restaurants, as well as how to ask for a table. They will also have the opportunity to practise some of the numbers covered in previous lessons by asking how much things cost and talking about different weights of fruit and veg.

RE – Judaism. Children will explore the religion of Judaism while asking and responding to key questions about their own and others’ beliefs. It will also expand upon key previous learning and challenge children’s thinking in some of the key areas / strands of learning in RE. This unit particularly focuses on key Jewish beliefs, Passover, Shabbat, the synagogue and how the Jewish faith has developed during and since the Holocaust. A key feature in this religion is the learning about and from the Holocaust. Clearly this is a very sensitive issue and the teacher’s role is not to traumatize children. Images and stories will be selected carefully and sensitively. The websites recommended provide valuable support material.

PHSCE – ‘Celebrating Difference’. We will be learning how to explain ways in which difference can be a source of conflict or a cause for celebration and learn how we can show empathy with people in either situation.

PE- This half term we will be looking at Dance where children will learn about movements of their bodies inspired from the sounds they hear. We will be practicing a variety of moves in order to create a powerful performance. Children must be bring in their P.E kit, and a change of footwear, on Wednesday. Children who fail to bring in their appropriate kit will have to wear the spare kit.

Homework:

Homework will be given out every Friday and your child will be expected to hand their completed homework task first thing Monday morning. Can you please support your child by encouraging them to complete their independent learning tasks. P.S. there will be added homework through the week too.

Thank you.

We can and will succeed.

01924 326371

office.carlinghow@kirkleeseducation.uk

Ealand Road, Batley,West Yorkshire WF17 8HT

Paper copies of information on our school website will be made available upon request.